The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of strawberry, botanically known as Fragaria×ananassa and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘DONNA’.
The new variety of strawberry was created in a breeding program by crossing two parents; in particular, by crossing as seed parent an undistributed strawberry parent designated 98.05.17 (unpatented) and as pollen parent an undistributed strawberry parent designated 98.16.34 (unpatented). Both parental varieties are proprietary and have not been commercialized.
The new variety was discovered in a controlled breeding program of Fragaria×ananassa and differs from its parents and other known cultivars of Fragaria×ananassa by the following characteristics in combination:                1. The new variety of strawberry differs from its seed parent, designed 98.05.17 (unpatented), in the shape, color of fruits and the color of the stolons. The new strawberry variety is more tolerant to Oidium than the seed parent; and        2. The new variety of strawberry differs from its pollen parent, designated 98.16.34 (unpatented), in the shape of fruit, the firmness of fruit and the shape of incisions of margin of the terminal leaflet.        